Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva, on Friday, November 21, visited Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plant to assess the progress of one of Rwanda’s largest energy projects, which is now 57 percent complete. The multipurpose dam is designed not only to generate electricity but also to support irrigation on over 20,000 hectares of farmland, supply water, and reduce flooding in downstream areas. The Prime Minister received a detailed briefing on the site, and inspected key components including the dam area, the powerhouse under construction, the spillway excavation zone and the site access road. Land acquisition for the project, which spans six districts including Rulindo, Gakenke, Nyabihu, Ngororero, Muhanga and Kamonyi, remains the project’s tightest bottleneck. Out of 5,900 hectares required, only three phases covering 1,159 hectares have been finalised. The largest segment, about 4,800 hectares for the reservoir, is still under valuation and will be concluded by mid-December 2025. The reservoir, which was expanded during redesign from 481 million to 803.8 million cubic metres, will create a 67-kilometre lake extending to Vunga, offering 50 years of operation with sufficient sediment control. Beyond electricity generation, Nyabarongo II will support irrigation, drinking water supply and flood mitigation. Engineers and project managers walked the Prime Minister through the updated timelines, financial status and the remaining works required to deliver the 43.5MW power plant. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s China-financed Nyabarongo II dam 'halfway done' Speaking during the visit, officials explained the scale of progress made so far. They noted that campsite construction has reached 100 percent, while the powerhouse stands at 54.5 per cent completion, and dam construction is at 41 percent. The spillway excavation has progressed to 32.6 percent. However, the power evacuation line, which will carry electricity to the national grid is at 6.4 percent. ALSO READ: Rusumo hydro project to help cut power tariffs come 2023 The project is financed by China’s EXIM Bank, while supervision is handled by Studio Pitrangeli of Italy. The Prime Minister also received updates on associated projects, including a proposed floating and on-shore solar system with 400MWh battery storage, and a water supply project intended to support surrounding communities.
